US to cut Africom troops amid focus on Russia and China

US and Senegalese troops inaugurate a military base in Thies, 70km from Dakar Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption About 10% of US troops in Africa will be redeployed amid a focus away from counter-terrorism operations in West Africa







Pentagon spokeswoman Candice Tresch said: "We will realign our counter-terrorism resources and forces operating in Africa over the next several years in order to maintain a competitive posture worldwide."


The move comes as US President Donald Trump works to implement his National Defense Strategy, which ushers in a new era of "Great Power competition" with Moscow and Beijing.

On Wednesday, a bipartisan congressional panel reviewing the strategy said America's focus on counter-insurgency operations had weakened its military capability.

Why is the US cutting troops in Africa?

By Tomi Oladipo, BBC Africa Security Correspondent

The announcement of cuts has been coming for some time.

In January, the US Defence Secretary James Mattis unveiled a new strategy indicating a shift away from terrorism and towards America's standing when compared to Russia and China.

While the cuts begin in Africa, they will eventually affect US military personnel elsewhere. The funding will now be put into military muscle-flexing, as Beijing and Moscow embark on renewed global ambitions.

The Pentagon will feel it has been successful in training partner forces in Africa and setting them up to competently fight insurgent groups - particularly Islamist extremists.

An example is in Cameroon, where the US feels local Special Forces are now able to operate independently.

Even though the US has spent years growing a secret military footprint across Africa, it will only keep those that are most essential, and focus on areas where there is a security vacuum, such as Libya and Somalia.

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